On two separate Air India flights, some passengers with banned knives, can-cutters and other prohibited items in their carry-on bags, were reportedly cleared at the primary security inspection at Terminal-3 of Pearson International Airport in Toronto.
"Had it not been for Air India's mandatory (secondary) screening at the boarding gate, which the airline, unlike most others, has conducted since the bombing of Flight 182 in June 1985, passengers would have got on flights carrying potentially dangerous weapons," says a report this morning in the Toronto Star.
This was also the subject of discussion at the media briefing convened by the Greater Toronto Airports Authority on Monday to announce the opening of its new fire fighting facility and actual fire fighting demonstrations.
Toby Lennox, Vice-President of Corporate Affairs of the GTAA wouldn't answer questions concerning the security breach by Air India passengers but he did say they have the most modern security measures in place, measures that they constantly up-grade following 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and other buildings.
He said the question of actual security breach was in the domain of Transport Canada.
Air India Manager, Rajesh Chopra, was not available for comments.
The two reported incidents occurred last Saturday and this Sunday involving Air India passengers on Flight 188 bound for Birmingham and Delhi. Passengers were screened at Terminal 3's gate C-36.
"On both evenings passengers were carrying knives that went undetected at the main screening area between the check-in section and the departure gates."
Sadly Brigitte Carson, a spokesperson with the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, calls these security breaches 'a fluke' forgetting the Air India tragedy of June 1985 that killed all 329 people on board Flight 182.
One couple involved in the security breach were cleared through the primary screening area even though their carry-on luggage held six plastic-covered box cutters, a can opener, a vegetable peeler and a multi-use utility knife.
And in another case, the passenger was carrying a paring knife in his vest pocket and he went undetected at the primary screening.
After each breach, published report says, the Peel Regional Police conducted investigations and determined there was no criminal intent but had it been otherwise who knows what could have been the consequences.
As to how there could be such a security breach , Carson reportedly explained, "The box cutters were in a plastic case, which got in the way of the item being screened by X-ray. Somehow detection was obstructed."
What an explanation in the face of claims by Toby Lennox of GTAA that they have most modern security measures in place at the Airport.
It is the X-ray that broke down on June 22, 1985, and the hand held scanners were ineffective that the baggage containing the explosives planted by the terrorists, escaped and was put on board flight 182 and the plane got disintegrated in mid-air.
Transport Canada and GTAA may now consider introducing secondary security inspection at the boarding gate, to follow-on the mandatory security procedure of Air India.
